Into His Territory

"Just go upstairs and look inside that room packed with luxury goods—new seasonal wardrobes delivered monthly, designer handbags, and millions in jewelry. I have never once treated her poorly.

"Yet as a full-time housewife, she couldn't even manage two simple maids. That says plenty about her capability, doesn't it?"

Straightening his shirt cuffs, he cast a brief look over the generous spread on the dining table. "Enjoy your meal, Grandma. I'm off to the office."

Martha massaged her aching temples as a dull throb started behind her eyes. *I need to sit Cleo down tonight and get to the bottom of this,* she decided silently.

*****

Outside, Dominic settled into the back seat of the waiting car and rested his head against the cushion, faint dark shadows lingering beneath his eyes.

Gavin pressed down on the accelerator, figuring his boss had barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before.

Keeping his eyes shut, Dominic suddenly broke the silence. "Have the fish pond at Oakridge Villa redone. She doesn't care for it anymore."

Gavin gave a quick nod in the mirror. "Right away."

"And sign off on any future requests coming out of Oakridge Villa. If you can't reach me, take care of it yourself," Dominic instructed. Every now and then, his on-site inspections took him to remote areas where cell reception dropped out completely.

"Got it, Mr. Vance," Gavin answered. "I'll have the landscaping team head over there this morning."

Dominic inclined his head slightly, then opened his eyes and turned toward the side window, staring out at the passing street in silence.

*****

Across town, Cleo pulled up outside Silas's residence twenty minutes behind schedule.

Already dressed in his suit, Silas stood waiting with a dark scowl on his face. "You show up late without even a phone call? If I had an international video conference scheduled this morning, could you afford to pay for the damages?"

"I'm really sorry about that," Cleo apologized right away.

Silas remained visibly annoyed, though the memory of the lucrative deal she had helped him close the previous night kept him from firing her on the spot. Pulling the door open, he climbed into the back. "Make sure there isn't a next time. Plenty of people are lining up to take your spot," he barked.

The second Cleo turned the ignition, a woman around Silas's age bolted out through the front doors of the house with her hair in complete disarray. It was Silas's wife, Sylvia.

Catching sight of Cleo behind the wheel, Sylvia's expression twisted with anger. "Silas, who is that woman?" she shouted.

"My new assistant," Silas answered flatly.

Sylvia let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "You hired someone this young and pretty? You aren't even bothering to cover it up anymore?"

Charging straight at the open driver's side window, she lunged forward to yank Cleo by the hair. "Get out of that car right now, you little witch!" she shrieked.

Leaning back to avoid the woman's grasping fingers, Cleo glanced calmly into the rearview mirror at her boss. "Mr. Cross, should we get going?"

Impatience flashed across Silas's face. "Just drive."

Saying nothing more, Cleo shifted into reverse, backed smoothly out of the drive, and steered the car down the road.

Left behind on the pavement, Sylvia stood frozen for a beat before grabbing at her own messy hair, screaming and stomping her feet in a fit of rage.

Checking the mirror one last time, Cleo watched the older woman sink down onto the driveway in tears, though she kept her eyes on the road and stayed quiet.

Once they reached the office, her morning duties proved simple enough—sorting through basic paperwork that required no specialized training, along with the occasional task of shadowing Silas to his appointments.

Around midday, Silas handed her a folder and instructed her to run a contract over to the Vance Group.

Having worked there as a senior executive in the past, he still maintained close ties inside the company. The paperwork involved a joint venture that two of his former associates had bought into, and it needed their signatures right away.

Without raising any objections, Cleo took the document and drove straight over to the Vance Group headquarters.

In all this time, she had never once set foot inside the building. Stepping up to the reception desk in the lobby, she asked how to reach the executive floor where Arthur Falk's office was located.

The woman behind the counter looked her up and down with obvious skepticism. "Miss, you have to contact Mr. Falk ahead of time to set up an appointment. The executive elevators require a security pass, so I can't let you through without clearance."

Before Cleo could say a word in reply, Daphne stepped through the main glass doors. Catching sight of the figure by the front desk, she walked straight over and called out, "Cleo? Are you here looking for Dominic?"

Noticing the tense standoff between Cleo and the staff member, a faint, knowing smile curved the corners of Daphne's mouth.

The receptionist shifted her attention at once. "Ms. Astor, are you acquainted with this lady?"

"We've crossed paths before," Daphne replied breezily, "though we aren't really close. I'm just stopping by to see Dominic—I'm heading up right now."

The receptionist's face lit up with a warm smile. "Enjoy your afternoon, Ms. Astor."

Offering a polite nod in return, Daphne tapped her private access card against the security gate and walked straight toward the elevator bank.